Sunday, 6 September 2009

Rest In Peace, Amy

My name is Kate. I was one of Amy’s closest friends before she passed away in July in a car accident. She was 26. For a long time I’ve been deliberating over whether I should post this and I haven’t known how to deliver the painful news to people I don’t know. I wasn’t even sure whether I should say anything at all, but I feel a responsibility to post this because Amy obviously felt this blog held some importance to her or she wouldn’t have continued posting until she did.

It is very hard to write this so soon after and I still feel hurt, but some of you may have grown close to her and so deserve to know what has happened. Amy didn’t talk about this blog extensively with me, mainly because I do not follow cricket and I barely know how to play it. We’d known each other since high school and she had always been the one who’d excelled at this sport. She was selected for the NSW all schools team and very nearly entered a career in playing cricket but it was hard for her because she never had the support she deserved and eventually she chose other talents over this and became a journalist.

Amy talked more about this blog with her boyfriend Andrew, and it was him who told me that we should probably tell readers of her blog what had happened. He was going to write this post himself but he wasn’t able to, just as it is so hard for me to do this now. I can only assume that this blog meant something to her because she kept writing even after she recently changed jobs and started working in Canberra as a staff member handling media relations for Kevin Rudd’s office. It was physically and mentally taxing and because of it we hadn’t been in much contact for the few weeks before she became sick. But she kept posting here and so I feel you should at least know what has happened to her. Amy was quite sick with the flu when she passed away, and she’d been driving back from Canberra Hospital when the accident happened. She wasn’t the driver at fault, but she might have been able to save her life if she wasn’t feeling a little lethargic from the Tamiflu she was taking.

I would just like to say that Amy was an amazing person. She was so dynamic. There were so many facets to her life. She was a writer, manager, feminist, sportsperson and as she joked to me the last time we talked, “a political lackey”. I like to think that most people didn’t know the whole Amy except for Andrew and close friends and family, not because she didn’t want them to know but because there was always so much going on with Amy it was almost intimidating. I hope that some of you got to know more sides of her than one and I feel regret for those who didn’t get the chance to because she was well worth knowing. For as long as I can remember, right through to high school, Amy was involved in the community, volunteering at any charity that would take her in, doing her bit to make her mark on the world. Now she is gone, these marks seem to be everywhere I look. She felt very strongly about things and hated discrimination of any kind. A good deal of her earnings went to microfinance organisations and she’d made the lives of many women around the world better through this. It’s as though she was only just on her way up the ladder of success when she passed away and the injustice of this cannot leave me.

Maybe something even more important to Amy was music. Sometimes it felt like she knew every song ever written. She didn’t, of course, but that was Amy. She loved good music. I always thought she could hold her own in a conversation with Alan Brough or Myf Warhurst. Amy always told me that her earliest memory was of when she was 2 and at the Live Aid concert. Her parents were always big on music too, and they’d been living in England for a few years when they attended Live Aid in 1985. Amy said she didn’t remember much, just a huge surge of people and noise, but it was still a defining moment in her life. She was 8 when Freddie Mercury died and 18 when George Harrison did, and both times she cried because music and the people related to it were such a big part of her life. Amy was probably more devoted to The Beatles than any other band. She was the truest supporter I’ve ever met, and a genuine appreciator of their music. She was also the only Beatles fan I know who didn’t hate Yoko Ono, but rather, loved her for being a strong, amazing woman. Soon after we met each other in high school, Amy wrote to Yoko telling her how much she admired her as a feminist and I can still remember Amy’s shock when Yoko actually wrote back with some kind words and a “thank you”. I’ve never heard the end of it. That was a huge thing for Amy when she was a teenager. From then on, music and feminism have been two massive parts of her life.

It took a while to find the necessary details to access Amy’s google account and post this, but it has been sorted out now. I hope that some of you got to see the real Amy for the strong, funny person she was and I hope you remember her in years to come. There were many, many people in this world who loved her, including me.

Amy’s funeral service was held on the 16th July. Rest In Peace, Amy.

I am a nature photographer for a magazine, but I’ve occasionally asked Amy to take a few shots of her. I’m not quite as good at photographing people, but this is one of my favourite photos of Amy. It was taken at the start of this year.

Feel free to use this photo of Amy for any appropriate purposes and to remember her as we will.

478 comments:

my deepest condolences. Amy meant a lot to us and we only knew her through her words. I can only imagine how much more amazing she would be in person. Thank you for letting us know. May her soul rest in peace.

My deepest condolences to Amy's friends and family. Thank you Amy, for the light you brought to my day every time I visited you here.

Although I only knew Amy through through her online presence I felt a connection with her through our shared interests. I will miss her so much, and can only imagine the pain felt by those closer to her.

Thank you so much for letting us know Kate, and for your beautiful words, and the insight into the wonderful person Amy was.

I've been reading Amy's blog since it was started but I've never commented. I don't know why, but I never did. And now she's gone, I feel such raw emotions of sadness I'm compelled to say at least this.

Rest In Peace, Amy. You were a wonderful person, your writing was amazing, and you're just as gorgeous as your personality. Beautiful, may your soul rest in peace.

I encourage anyone who's ever read Amy's blog but not commented to leave a message of support here. Even if we only read Amy's blog and laughed at her brilliance, now is the time to say something, even if it is only as an "anonymous" person.

Yes, she did write a lot about Albie. She laughed about that too, as did we. It was just one of the many things that made Amy special.

When I read what Amy wrote, I felt like I knew her. She was always so funny, so intelligent, and she had this way with words... whenever I read this blog, I felt like I was having fun and that was so important to me. Amy was accessible and kind and hilarious. This was my favourite blog ever.

My deepest condolences to Kate and Andrew. I'm sure you loved her very much. Thank you so much for letting us know what has happened. I don't usually do this, but I will pray for her. She was a special person.

I still remember the very funny vendetta she had against AB de Villiers. It was the funniest joke which led to much enjoyment on my part. I think we should remember Amy for the smart, hilarious writer she was. Maybe people could share their favourite thing about her.

It's hard to write about loss as what we feel is nothing in comparison to those who knew Amy personally. But as a devoted regular she always made me feel as if we were genuine friends. Her sense of humour & well weighted arguments always kept me coming back.

Kate, as hard as this was for you to write, thank you. We needed this sad truth & as you can see Amy meant a lot to us all.

I only found this site shortly before her untimely death. I felt connected to her through her writing. It seems so sad and so strange to read of this. I feel guilty for getting on here and chastising her for not blogging anymore.

Thanks for letting us know, Kate... my thoughts and prayers are with all of Amy's family and friends.

Like everyone else, I'm shocked and saddened, and I feel blessed to have had this small contact with her. I will miss her comments on cricket, great writing, skewed sense of humour and what was obviously a great energy for life.

When she first started posting I wondered how she would keep up the pace, but she managed it! Vale, Amy - I'll remember you every time we play SA.

Ahh... this hurts. I've been coming here everyday hoping for a return of her blogging, but she's in a better place now. Amy was an intelligent, witty, funny, hilarious individual. It was a joy knowing her over the internet. All the persons close to her were surely fortunate for the opportunity.

Hope her soul rest in peace and condolences to Kate, Andrew and all others affected by this tragedy.

I'm so sorry, this is devastating news. My deepest, heartfelt condolences to you Kate, Andrew and her family and friends. Thank you for letting us know, and for your beautiful tribute to a very special person.

I'm only 16 so not very good at handling death, but this got to me.I always wondered why Amy stopped blogging but just thought it was cos she was probably busy with work etc. Never did I think of this..

Thank you so much Kate for letting us all know. Amys blog became a part of my life, reading up after anything happened in cricket, just to hear her opinion and laugh with her.

We've all known Amy for a very short while but she went to the top few blogs on cricket that I checked every day in avery short time period due to her very witty writing and the passion it showed for cricket. It feels like we've lost one of our friends.

It is a tragedy to lose someone this young and I pray for her loved ones that would miss her the most.

Kate, tt must have been hard for you to do this and thanks for letting us know.

I'd never met Amy but am sure that had I done so, we would have been friends. I loved her blog, which never failed to make me laugh, brightened up my day and was always inclusive and uniting. If she was even half as delightful in real life as on the blog she must have been a truly remarkable person. My condolences to her friends and family.

I was shocked to hear this from Homer today. Amy was a wonderful member of the blogging community and we will all miss her terribly. My heartfelt condolences to her family. May they find the strength and courage to live life in her absence in the years ahead.

I want to reach out to you guys in sharing this grief. I have been a regular reader of Amy's blog and her personality came through in her posts - she was fun, passionate, really interesting and totally involved.

I was listening to I'll Follow The Sun by The Beatles when I read this post. This is such a huge shock and I give my deepest condolences to Amy's friends and family, but the aptness of that song really strikes me.

One day you'll look to see I've gone But tomorrow may rain, so I'll follow the sun

I feel cheated and betrayed having discovered her blog so close to her death. She added richly to the prevailing cricket literature. I managed to post a few times before she died and she used to address it one in an assiduous manner.

Such a tragic loss for us but more particularly her family and friends.

My deepest condolences - the great loss I feel as someone who merely read her blog pales in comparison to your loss. I am sure that the many great memories she has given you all will help you overcome your grief. However, the world is poorer for this loss.

Amy, I thoroughly enjoyed your intelligent and witty writing - your posts threw a highly entertaining light on cricket. Rest in peace, and be proud of all you achieved in your sadly short life.

Well, I have been too numb to write since I saw jrod's post yesterday.I was even hoping that it was jrod's morbid humour of making a RIP post out of a blog-quitting post from AmyEven when I saw Kate's post here, I was half expecting a 'boo' from Amy at the last saying that "Amy" was merely an online creation, who has now been retired by her and the real Amy is still alive.

It is hard to believe now that she is really not with us.

I was wondering...we should have known, with so much happening in the Ashes, it was hardly likely that she would not even post a small note right?

A very witty, intelligent, inoffensive personality she came across as in this blog. I kept coming back every day to this blog hoping for an update since that last post -and indeed, it never struck me to write a comment asking where she was. Maybe, thats the way it was written.

A sad, sad day - the fact that she can touch the lives of people who barely knew her as an online phantom can feel so shows how much of a wonderful person she was. Rest in Peace, Amy S. One day, we hope, we'll all recreate this blog in heaven, or hell, since that is where souls who dislike Aussie Cricketers go as you noted ever so wittily in your sidebar.-raj

Well, I have been too numb to write since I saw jrod's post yesterday.I was even hoping that it was jrod's morbid humour of making a RIP post out of a blog-quitting post from AmyEven when I saw Kate's post here, I was half expecting a 'boo' from Amy at the last saying that "Amy" was merely an online creation, who has now been retired by her and the real Amy is still alive.

It is hard to believe now that she is really not with us.

I was wondering...we should have known, with so much happening in the Ashes, it was hardly likely that she would not even post a small note right?

A very witty, intelligent, inoffensive personality she came across as in this blog. I kept coming back every day to this blog hoping for an update since that last post -and indeed, it never struck me to write a comment asking where she was. Maybe, thats the way it was written.

A sad, sad day - the fact that she can touch the lives of people who barely knew her as an online phantom can feel so shows how much of a wonderful person she was. Rest in Peace, Amy S. One day, we hope, we'll all recreate this blog in heaven, or hell, since that is where souls who dislike Aussie Cricketers go as you noted ever so wittily in your sidebar.

Amy, I will miss you. Your blog never failed to make me laugh. I fell in love with your witty and outrageous sense of humour, and your enthusiasm. My condolences to Kate and Andrew, may you rest in peace.

I have never commented here before though I have followed this blog for quite a while. I have shared my memories of reading Amy's blog in a blog post of my own http://giftofdevil.blogspot.com/2009/09/well-miss-you-amy.html

I'm ever so sorry to hear this, but thank you for posting it; I'm sure it can't have been easy. Sincerest condolences to all those who knew her personally; I often wondered what the person behind this blog must be like, and it sounds like she really was a joy to know.

RIP Amy, the small part of the world that you have touched will miss you and remember you. Your talent, humour and personality were apparent through your writing and as so many people have mentioned, it is obvious we got only a small part of the whole package. Condolences to family and friends.

I guess it says something about the role fate plays in our lives. Amy seemed to love her new job and even wondered whether it was possible to continue this blog because of it. The move to Canberra and her bout of swine flu probably sealed her tragic fate. She was a wonderful writer.

Oh goodness! For weeks my daily routine has featured a stop at this blog, waiting for the next post to come...and wondering how the Ahes have not merited a single word. Now that I know why it will not, there's a lump in my throat.

She did not know me, I did not know her (I never commented before today) but her love for Albie and loathing (sort of) for AB was just one of the many reasons to read her posts. Hearing about her private side, a side she very magnanimously kept hidden, makes it even more tragic.

Kate, thank you for letting us know. It tells us a lot about Amy that she had friends like you. My condolences to you, Andrew and her family.

Like alot of people i loved reading Amy's blog but never posted a comment. I was totally shocked to read Kate's post. I just assumed she had become busy with work. She really had a knack for writing and her humorous views on cricketers made my day. My deepest sympathies to her loved ones. May her soul rest in peace.

Its one of the things you learn about life that it's hard to explain why someone who had so much left to contribute to the world left it so prematurely.

Every day I would visit this blog to post. She sometimes responded to what I said in the comments section. From her twitter it sounds as if she had succumbed really badly to the flu just before she died.

Thank you to everyone for the lovely words left here in response to this post. We are overwhelmed by the number of people who have left a comment paying tribute to Amy.

We have also viewed some of the blog posts honouring Amy, and while we can't respond individually to every one of them, we thank the authors immensely for recognising the loss of Amy. It actually does mean a lot to us that people cared about Amy in such a way, and we're certain Amy would have felt the same way too.

Again, thank you for sharing some of your sorrow. The wound left by Amy's passing away is still fairly raw but we can find some comfort in knowing that she had a positive impact on other people in her short life.

Please do not underestimate the worth of any sense of loss you feel after becoming aware of this. Any pain is real pain, and we do not wish to compare it to the pain that people who knew Amy personally feel. We're well aware of the kind of person Amy was, and she had this knack of making almost everyone grow attached to her through her personality and actions. She was just that kind of person.

I can't believe what I'm reading... It'd been a while since I visited the blog, thinking that work commitments had kept Amy very busy. If only.. what a tragedy, my thoughts are with her family and those who loved.

I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

this is shocking and tragic at the same time...i was wondering why there were no recent posts...I hope this blog never gets erased may it be a memory of what amy was to all of us...each comment ...each argument and all the fun comic elements.....oh how i will miss them...

AND I do hope that one day the real albie morkel or junior read dis blog...she tuched so many lives..i cant believe she's really gone...

my deepest condolences are with her parents ,KATE and ANDREW and also with all the PEOPLE who read dis blog .....MAY HER SOUL REST IN PEACE AND MAY ALLAH SHINE HIS LIGHT ON HER...

TODAY i'm at a loss of words to describe her....this was the first ever real blog dat i kept readin evryday and it was my FAVOURITE...we've not just lost a great part of cricket but we've lost so much more....

I WILL NEVER 4GET U AMY S....U ALWAYS made me laugh but today u made me CRY......

I had wondered why Amy had not posted. I thought she had got a job and just been too busy after the flu. Although I kept hoping she would comment just once on the Ashes. But as she hadn't I had given up checking this site.

This is such a shock and so very very sad. I very much enjoyed her writing and sense of cricket fun - and really missed it when she stopped posting. And now all I can do is cry. I am truly upset. Quite devastated.

And to be wiped of the planet by a car. I hate peoples reliance on them. And no I don't drive. I had a good friend who was killed on his motorcycle by a hit and run driver - he was in his 20s - tragedy isn't always just around the corner sometimes it is on the same side of the road and coming straight at you!

When I see the Saffers I will always remember Amy - she had some brilliant insights. She was their most interesting fan by miles and I will miss her so much.

The photograph is beautiful - I envy your talent - I've spent much of this year trying to get portraits of County crickets...I'm not very good with a camera.

Thank you for posting this sad update to Amys story - it is such a shame it has ended this way - she had such talent.

This a real shocker.I was wondering why Amy stopped blogging. I have been keeping away from cricket blogs for last few weeks. I visited this blog today hoping that Australia blowing apart England would have rekindled some spark in her. I was certain there would be a new post. Little did I expect that the post will inform me that the wittiest cricket blogger I have known is dead. This is disheartening beyond words. I am still hoping this is some prank that she is playing.

RIP Amy. You entertained us through victories and defeats and through those tame draws and washed out days. Cricket will never be the same gain.

Thank you Kate and thank you Amy for your words. This is a sharp reminder of why we should all live each day as it is our last. My deepest condolences to all affected. It is all so terribly sad when someone so young is gone. May her memory live long and strong.

I just wanted to say that I am deeply saddened to find out what happened to Amy. I never met her and I only came across her blog by chance. I immediately fell in love with her blog (helped on by the fact that I am a huge Albie Morkel fan), and there were many times I got a really good laugh from what she wrote and, more importantly, how she wrote, e.g. I can no longer look at AB de Villiers without calling him 'die AB'. From what I have read, she was an intelligent and funny young woman.

I never thought I'd be affected by the passing of someone I never knew, but I am genuinely upset by the news of her passing. Thank you so much for letting us, her readers, know.

I still haven't forgotten you, Amy. A few days might go by when I don't miss this blog and the humour it brought to my life, but then almost always I'm jerked back to reality and I remember this wonderful place for what a welcoming environment it was.

I used to come to this blog and feel a sense of belonging. Now it feels empty, lonely, and I cannot contain my sadness. I don't want it to be banished to our memories. I wanted it to live on.

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Amy S. on twitter

Amy is also on twitter

Amy S. Talks Cricket

You may hear me, but note that you do not see me.

Born with the ability to dislike Australian cricketers, I may be well on my way to Hell, according to an irate Aussie fan."why dont u piss off Amy S!!!!!! u dont know about australia!!!! go back to your sh1thole!!!"I have promptly returned to Sydney, where I will spend the rest of my days in hiding. It is a scary job, this blogging.